About leeches and lust
by La Mouette Lunaire
Summary: The training facility at night can be a lonely place, especially when you are faced with the painful reminder that you are in fact not alone. Will the young Dr. Birkin find the courage to overcome his fear and confront what is causing him so much pain?


La Mouette Lunaire proudly presents

**About leeches and lust**

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_It's been seven hours and fifteen days  
Since you took your love away  
I go out every night and sleep all day  
Since you took your love away_

With an exhausted sigh the young doctor sat down on one of the rusty cots which some of his more enthusiastic colleagues still referred to as their 'beds', though clearly in his eyes they were nothing but another display of the company's poor way of handling its financial supplies. Then again, who needed well-rested and content researchers when there were marble halls to be decorated with eccentric paintings and oversized statues?

_Since you been gone I can do whatever I want  
I can see whomever I choose_

Bloodshot eyes darted from one corner to the other as Dr. William Birkin scanned the dimly lit room for the cup of coffee he had just fetched himself from the kitchen. Or at least that was his perception of events until with another sigh he had to realise that his beloved hot beverage had not in fact made it back to the researchers' quarters with him.

_I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant  
But nothing ...  
I said nothing can take away these blues, _

Birkin jumped from his 'bed' with an unusual amount of energy and kicked the nearest wall in equally unusual frustration. It wasn't even the fact that it had happened, but the reason why it had happened that made it so irksome. Damn that Marcus for distracting him! Damn him for keeping a young genius like him from work… and from his coffee.

_'Cause nothing compares ...  
Nothing compares to you_

Deep down William Birkin knew exactly that his thoughts were unprofessional. He knew that he just had to focus, just had to rely on his mind and cast all those unnecessary emotions, all those unholy voices aside, but… deep down he also knew that he was only human and that it was impossible.

_It's been so lonely without you here  
Like a bird without a song  
Nothing can stop these lonely tears from falling  
Tell me baby where did I go wrong?_

He rummaged through the overly large pockets of his lab coat for a torch and soon cast its light on his roommate's desk which was cluttered with notes, letters, empty bottles and the body of a half-dissected seagull.

For a moment Birkin even thought that he could keep himself occupied by being disgusted about the poor excuse of a scientist he had been forced to room with, but he quickly had to discover that scientific outrage was no match for the thoughts… the words that now almost burned within his body.

_I could put my arms around every boy I see  
But they'd only remind me of you _

Dr. James Marcus. A dark secret lurked behind the facade of this brilliant mind. A dark secret that was about to swallow the young scientist whole. And yet, looking at the electric torch in his hand and the fact that he was moving swiftly towards the door made him realise that he had already made his decision and that it wouldn't involve trying to escape.

_Went to the doctor, guess what he told me  
Guess what he told me?  
He said, girl, you better have fun  
No matter what you do  
But he's a fool ..._

Running down staircase after staircase Birkin's torch hectically jumped from one corner to another, much like a distraught firefly. And distraught was indeed a word to remember, for despite the increasing cold that was haunting the lower levels of the facility Birkin couldn't help but notice the rivulets of sweat that were running down his pale face.

_'Cause nothing compares ...  
Nothing compares to you ... _

The corridors that lead to the secret laboratories were terrifyingly dark and silent. Despite their supposedly shared passion for research it was rare to find other scientists up and working at this hour. Indeed, thinking back Birkin could only remember one single person who had equally displayed his passion for work, who had disregarded the need for food, sleep and social interaction, but…

But were the few things they shared enough to make up for everything that separated them? For everything Birkin was about to do?

_All the flowers that you planted, mama  
In the back yard  
All died when you went away_

Turning around one last corner he had finally arrived at his destination, out of breath and feeling entirely out of place. He swallowed and took a step forward, knowing that if he turned away now the words alone would break and crush him sooner or later.

No, he could no longer deny or disregard the desire he felt. He couldn't possibly hope for the man he had at some point considered a mentor to feel the same. But being so close, standing here in front of his very door the least he could do was cling to the hope that he'd understand…

_I know that living with you baby was sometimes hard  
But I'm willing to give it another try _

With one swift gesture he swung open the door to the lab and was immediately faced with the intense stare of James Marcus, who had not expected his attention to be drawn away from his work at such late hour and whose curious yet impatient gaze made Birkin wish that he'd never ever left his room in the first place. But it was too late now. Emotions that had been gnawing on him ever so subtly for the longest time suddenly took over completely.

_'Cause nothing compares ...  
Nothing compares to you_

Despair had lead the young doctor here and courage would push him further to the point of uttering the words that had been on his mind the whole night or indeed since the very first night they had spent together in the research facility.

"PLAY THAT DAMN CONNOR SONG AGAIN AND I'LL KILL YOU!", Birkin hissed, slammed the door shut behind him and disappeared into the night, leaving behind a very puzzled Dr. James Marcus, several traumatised leeches and an emotionally hurt cassette recorder.

**The End.**

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Do I even need to comment on this? No? Well, maybe then you should.


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